Lebanon Must Make Progress On Disarming Militias

Lebanon Needs To Make More Progress On Disarming Militias,
UN Envoy Says

New York, Oct 30 2008 7:10PM

Lebanon has
made “no tangible progress” towards disbanding and
disarming militias operating on its territory, a senior
United Nations official told the Security Council today,
warning that the continued activities of these groups could
undermine the staging of parliamentary elections scheduled
for next year.

Terje Roed-Larsen, the
Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on the implementation of
Security Council resolution 1559, told the Council that both
Lebanese and non-Lebanese armed groups posed a threat to
national sovereignty and stability.

Resolution 1559,
adopted by the Council in 2004 amid concern about the
ongoing tensions within Lebanon, calls for free and fair
elections in the Middle East country without interference
from foreign groups and also for the disbanding of all
militia.

But Mr. Roed-Larsen said that while some “major
strides” have been taken in the past six months regarding
the resolution – most notably the holding of a free
presidential poll in which Michel Suleiman was chosen –
many elements have still not been implemented.

“The
violence that erupted in Lebanon and spread widely across
the country in May of this year served as a shocking
illustration of how armed groups outside the control of the
Government of Lebanon brought the country to a near state of
collapse, and engraved psychological scars on the civilian
population,” he said.

The clashes in May, despite the
subsequent political accord that led to the holding of
presidential elections, “may have prompted, if not
accelerated, a process of re-armament.”

The envoy said
Hizbollah’s armed component was the most significant
militia in the country, and he urged the group to comply
with relevant resolutions and transform into a political
party proper.

“The organization maintains a massive
paramilitary infrastructure separate from the State,
including a secure network of communication, which the group
itself deems an integral part of its arsenal.

“In May of
this year, Hizbollah employed civil disobedience but also
elements of these military assets to protect this very
structure. These assets, and Hizbollah’s resort to armed
action in response to a political decision by the
Government, are a direct challenge to the fundamental
authority of that Government and its attempts to consolidate
its sovereignty."

He added that “the emergence and
apparent strengthening of extremist elements and foreign
fighters based largely in and around Tripoli” was also a
grave concern, and these elements had conducted lethal
attacks against Lebanese armed forces.

The disarmament of
all militias “should take place through a political
process that will lead to the monopoly on the use of force
by the Government of Lebanon throughout all of its
territory,” he stressed.

But Mr. Roed-Larsen also noted
that Lebanon and Syria have recently held high-level talks
on Lebanese sovereignty, political independence and
territorial integrity, and have agreed to establish full
diplomatic relations for the first time.

The envoy
cautioned, however, that the Syrian-Lebanese border remains
porous and easily penetrated, smuggling activities are
ongoing and militia groups are allowed to straddle the
border.

In addition, he said Israeli aircraft continue to
violate Lebanese airspace by conducting over-flights, which
he said must end.

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